Ukraine continues to grapple with the complexities of war as President Volodymyr Zelenskyy reported that Russia launched over 40 drones targeting civilian infrastructure, including a hospital in the Sumy region. The escalation came amid a historic phone call between United States President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, described as "epic" by Moscow’s international cooperation envoy, Kirill Dmitriev. The call has stirred diplomatic discussions and responses from global leaders.
Russia unleashed a total of 137 drone attacks, leaving approximately 3,000 residents without electricity in the Zaporizhia region, as stated by Governor Ivan Fedorov. While the Kremlin conveyed Putin's message to Trump that the US and its allies must cease military and intelligence support to Ukraine for hostilities to end, German and French leaders have publicly declared their commitment to continue aiding Ukraine militarily. In a move to bolster support, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced a joint task force with Ukraine to streamline military supply procurement.
Contradicting reports emerged regarding the contents of the Trump-Putin call, with Trump stating to Fox News that aid to Ukraine was not discussed. Meanwhile, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni expressed skepticism about a UK and France-led plan to send peacekeepers to Ukraine, dubbing it potentially ineffective.
In a significant development, Putin reportedly agreed to a "limited" 30-day halt in combat operations, with both Russia and Ukraine agreeing to refrain from attacking each other's energy sectors. On the military front, the Ukrainian Air Force claimed it successfully shot down 63 of the 137 Russian drones, whereas Russia's Ministry of Defence reported neutralizing 46 Ukrainian drones overnight. The barrage also led to a fire in another infrastructure facility in the neighboring Dnipropetrovsk region, according to Governor Serhiy Lysak.
The aftermath of the Trump-Putin conversation saw the White House announcing imminent negotiations for a "full ceasefire" and "permanent peace" in Ukraine, set to commence in the Middle East. This announcement comes as Democratic lawmakers urge Trump to reinstate funding for a Yale University initiative tracking the mass deportation of Ukrainian children.
Simultaneously, Russia and Ukraine are preparing for a prisoner exchange on Wednesday, involving 175 individuals from each side. Ukraine's military has also accused Russia of attempting a cross-border attack, asserting that its forces successfully repelled all incursions in the Sumy region.
